Brillian asks whether your business has elected S-corp tax status. Here's why that matters for your valuation, not just your taxes.
S-corp is a tax election, not a business structure
An S-corp isn't a type of legal entity — it's a federal tax status elected with the IRS. Your legal structure (LLC, C-corporation, etc.) is separate from your tax election; both LLCs and C-corporations can elect S-corp treatment by filing IRS Form 2553. Under S-corp status, profits and losses pass through directly to shareholders' personal tax returns, avoiding the double taxation that applies to C-corporations.
Why appraisers care
Because S-corps and C-corps are taxed differently, their reported earnings aren't directly comparable. To value businesses on an apples-to-apples basis, appraisers "tax-affect" earnings — adjusting for the tax treatment so that two otherwise-identical businesses aren't valued differently just because of their tax election.
What this means for you
You don't need to do anything beyond answering accurately — Brillian applies the appropriate adjustment automatically. Knowing why the question is there just helps make sense of the number you see. Understanding the difference between your legal structure and your tax status puts you in a stronger position — for your valuation, and for the financial decisions that follow it.